Chapter three

Viola's joy faltered. "What... why are you saying that to me? I have no recollection of the day I got my wolf, and I've never shown any sign of being a shifter ever since."

Kiara nodded slowly. A mischievous smile appeared on her lips as she hugged her sister tightly.

"I'm sorry, V," she whispered against Viola's shoulder.

Then she went still

Viola felt the sudden tension in her sister's body. She tried to pull back to see her face, but Kiara's arms tightened around her.

"Kiara?"

Kiara gasped and stumbled backward. Viola reached for her, but Kiara's hand shot up, pressing against her own chest. Her breath became quick and rushed.

Her face was flushing, her skin darkening from her jawline upward like someone was pouring poison through her veins.

"Kiara, what's going on?""

"V..." Kiara's voice cracked. "V, I can't..."

Her eyes rolled back.The whites of her eyes showed red, with tiny vessels. Her mouth opened, and a sound came out that was part gasp, part scream, part choke.

"What's happening to you Kiara. Breath gently. I will call mother. " Viola panicked

Kiara fell to her knees, catching herself on her palms. Her body convulsed. Her hands clawed at her neck, her nails drawing lines of red across her skin.

"Kiara!" Viola dropped beside her, her hands hovering, not knowing where to touch, or how to help. "Kiara, look at me. Look at me!"

"It burns," Kiara gasped between convulsions. "V, it burns...help me please"

"Someone! Someone get the healer!" Viola's voice echoed in the night. She grabbed her sister's shoulders, trying to hold her still. "Please! Princess Kiara needs help!"

Viola loosened Kiara's dress at the collar, desperate to give her air, but Kiara's gasping only worsened. Her whole body had gone into shock, her face twisted in agony.

"I'm here," Viola whispered fiercely tears welling up her eyes. "I'm here, sister, just hold on"

It was as if everyone was waiting for her call; they all started to troop in the garden, and seeing Kiara on the floor alone with Viola, the wrong message was sent across their minds.

"Poison... She... poisoned me. Her eyes caused me. Her wolf attacked mine... I..." Kiara spilled those words that struck like a dagger at Viola's heart.

"You poisoned your sister? You little monster!" A voice rang out from the crowd.

"No..." Viola cried. "I swear I didn't hurt her. I swear with my life. Please bring the healer. Don't let my sister die."

The guests all surrounded Kiara, who was on the floor, her hands holding her neck tightly like she was choking on something. "Please let me go, Viola. Please don't kill me, V."

Viola shook her head. She was utterly confused about what was going on at that moment. She crouched down to her sister, but the moment her hands touched Kiara, she vomited a good amount of blood and became motionless.

"This is totally an Abomination! So the rumors were true? She's a monster?" The voices from the guests sounded like they were from another end of a tunnel.

Viola suddenly felt dizzy. "Please... A healer. Do not let my sister die."

But no one was listening to her.

The judging eyes and voices kept increasing.

"She's cursed and she was allowed to live to an adult age? She should have been killed when she was a child. Flawed monster." The voices continued.

Tears were beginning to grace Viola's cheeks.

"Kill the princess."

"Behead the monster!!!"

Viola's mask was almost torn from her face. She shut her eyes tightly. Her mind was spiraling as she didn't understand if she had truly unknowingly hurt her sister.

Her father's voice, however, broke the heavy riot in the garden. He cleared his throat and boomed, his scornful eyes boring a hole in her face.

"The ball would continue another time. Everyone disperse to your various houses.The Princess shall be judged rightly, if found guilty she shall killed and her head shall be hung on a spike like the pack rule demands, ."

The angry guests dispersed immediately.

It took a minute before the words sank in. Viola stared at her father, but he pretended to not notice how shocked his daughter was.

"You can't do that to me, Father. I swear I didn't hurt Kiara. I love her. Why would I?" Viola somewhat fearfully approached her father.

"Love." Graham said the word like it tasted foul. "You've been locked away from this family your entire life. Isolated. And you now want you revenge by slaughtering your own blood at the celebration we threw in your honor?"

"No. No, please believe me, I didn't do it"

"I was wrong to let you live," he continued, his voice dropping lower. "When you were born with those eyes, I told your mother to end it. She begged for your life. 'She's still our daughter,' she said. I listened to sentiment instead of sense." He looked away from her, at his guards. "I will not make that mistake twice."

Viola's breath caught. "Father... "

"Now, I want you out of my sight," he said in a low, dry voice. "I can't stand seeing you. Here I was thinking that your eyes was your only flaw. Little did I know you had gone insane as well. If your sister decides to forgive you for this, then you might live. As of now, pray she wakes up from whatever spell you have cast on her." He paused and looked at the guards standing across the hall.

"Take her away and lock her up in her room."

With tears welling in her eyes and her breath quickening, Viola backed away. Then, gently, she turned and walked away from her father and that glamorous party. She began to run, climbing stair after stair, determined to reach her room as quickly as possible.